Scary New Evidence Suggests Air Pollution Can Harm Babies in Utero

Many newborns whose moms breathed dirty air showed an ominous biological sign, a new study found. While the telomere-length finding is new, children’s vulnerability to air pollution has been well documented, said Dr. Heather Brumberg. Breathing dirty air may increase a child’s risk of developing ailments including allergies, asthma, neurological diseases, and obesity, she said. “There are tons of multi-system effects [of air pollution] on children growing up.”